Best Bars in Fitzroy

This suave cocktail bar is consistently recognised in global polls, and for good reason. There's no drink the staff here can't make to perfection.

Locals get misty-eyed when you mention the Napier, such is the respect for this backstreet corner pub. The menu is pure comfort, and the interior is full of pressed metal and Australiana kitsch. It’s the kind of local every suburb needs.

This three-level pub – which has stood for more than 150 years – is one of Melbourne’s best. It’s an ideal spot for a feed or knock-off pint, whether you’re in the front bar, upstairs in the dining room, or soaking rays on the rooftop.

Like drinking at your cool grandma’s house.

A whisky bar with 300-plus rare bottles, including one-off releases never to be made again.

This jazzy Fitzroy 30-seater blends Japanese izakaya, craft sake bar and record store.

A comfortable and understated local pub with live music.

True to its name, this ’80s-referencing, queer-friendly, vegan-leaning American diner packs a nightclub-quality soundsystem and a mezzanine DJ booth. Drag trivia and bingo are held regularly here, alongside glitzy techno and pop parties.

A local’s bar for locals and visitors alike.

A night of tapas and wines at this glowing wine bar is cheaper than a ticket to Spain. Order Iberian share plates (including plenty of seafood) and Jalapeno Margaritas, while Grace Jones plays in the background.

This old-school bar is all about rum and champagne. Find rum from around the globe and a Daiquiri-centred cocktail list. Plus, snacks like bread, tinned fish and cheeses with Wagyu bresaola and mortadella.

This 19th-century spot has an Italian gastropub menu and a calming atmosphere. Come for the fried pepper chicken with ranch, hand-stretched pizza and crab linguine. Stay for the imported Italian trinkets and top-tier tiramisu.

Naked In The Sky is where you bring friends from out of town. Sure, there’s always a crowd, not to mention the added uncertainty of actually getting a seat. But this place has some truly gobsmacking panoramas of the city that are absolutely worth showing off. The excellent food and drinks are just a bonus.

An unpretentious spot for great beer, live music and authentic Philly cheesesteaks.

This taqueria is a simple kind of place, with just two beers on tap and tunes spinning away on the turntables behind the bar. Local hospitality workers like to stick their heads in for a quick chat and a taco before their shift. It’s open until late on weekends, so many return for a wind-down drink after work too.

A live music staple in the centre of Fitzroy.

Perched high above Hotel Fitzroy, this timber-clad bar is the perfect place to kick off an evening on Brunswick Street. The cocktail list is classic, the wines are affordable and Ichi Ni Nana downstairs will ferry sushi and Japanese pub-style snacks to your table.

Fitzroy’s oldest pub is for the old guard and the new. You’ll find footy fans gathered around the TVs on game days. When the vibe’s right, it’s like you’ve got 100 mates, 16 beer taps and better-than-usual food in your lounge room.

The northside watering hole has been re-imagined once more. Its slick gastro-pub menu boasts wasabi scotch eggs and a buttermilk brine parma, plus cocktail jugs for the table. Don’t worry, DJs still rule the weekend.

Industry experts from Rockwell and Sons and Attica joined forces for this stylish drinking den. The best way to sample the changing dishes is through the set menu (don’t skip the sourdough flatbread). Plus, an extensive wine list offers everything from buzzy pét-nats to classic chardonnays.

Under the stewardship of star chef Andrew McConnell, this classic bar and dining room in a heritage building feels as vital as ever. Throw back easy-drinking lagers and cocktails with a burger or the rotisserie of the day.

Fitzroy’s dense with pubs, but The Standard commands one of the suburb’s fiercest followings. Rusted-on locals pack the all-weather beer garden (the owners claim it’s Melbourne’s biggest), and the front bar feels warm and lived in.

While a new wave of revamped pubs adopts the retro look, this old boozer has no need. Its old paintings, retro couches and warm red walls fit the bill. But it’s the pool table and cheesy parmas that locals return for.

Ascend three flights of stairs to reach this convivial loft, where arched windows offer views of Collingwood. The bar menu offers refined snacks, while the slightly quieter restaurant serves heartier, modern Australian dishes of market fish, oysters and meaty share plates.

The best-named pub in town is focused squarely on two of Fitzroy’s biggest obsessions: live music and beer. There’s no kitchen or TV here, making it a no-frills hangout with good local tunes, lively conversation and many games of pool.

A good old late night bar sporting character in spades.

Indie beer is king at this unpretentious bar and bottle shop. Visit for hazy and wild brews, plus decadent French dip sangas by permanent pop-up, Jolly Good Sandwiches.

An outdoor drinking spot in Fitzroy that’s more relaxed, and smaller, than its older sibling.

If Johnny Cash and Nick Cave had a drink together in a Melbourne bar, it would probably be here. The menu maintains a simplicity ethos (including pizzas, parmas and burgers) alongside a succinct list of decent wines and beers.

This drink-in bottle shop pours wild ales, natural wines and sour Negronis. Come for beer-infused cocktails, Belgian lambics and plenty of snacks.

Find classic Japanese snacks and party-friendly cocktails at this sprawling izakaya. Across two levels, go for karaage and gyoza alongside natural wines, cocktails made with Japanese whisky and Stomping Ground rice lager on tap.